3/12/07-A bill has died that sought to require applicants for commercial driver's licenses to be able to speak and read English.
Sponsored by Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, SB546 was held in the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, effectively killing it for the year.
The bill would have required the knowledge test to be offered only in English. The Department of Public Safety also would be required to test applicants' ability to speak and read English. Applicants' ability to understand traffic signs and signals written in English also would be required.
A companion bill - HB1274 - remains active. It's in the House Transportation Committee.